1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to door latch mechanisms and locks, and more particularly to a protector for protecting the door latch mechanism and lock.
2. Description of Related Art
Door latch mechanisms with handle assemblies are routinely used for opening and closing doors. A door handle assembly may have a shaft extending through a door and a handle coupled to the shaft and spaced a distance from the door. The handle is typically used to rotate the shaft. This rotation effects operation of a door latch mechanism between a latched and an unlatched position.
A variety of lock mechanisms are used with door handles in order to prevent unwanted persons from opening doors. One type of lock mechanism secures the handle to the door with a padlock, thus preventing a person from rotating the shaft coupled to the handle. Another type of lock mechanism comprises a first bracket on the door and a second bracket on a surface (i.e., a second door, wall, or doorjamb) exterior to the door. The brackets have portions that align when the door is closed such that a lock passing through holes in the aligned portions prevents the brackets from being separated, and thus prevents the door from being opened. Known brackets also can form a surrounding shroud to protect the locking device securing the brackets. The surrounding shroud can be integrated into a single side of the bracket, or each side of the bracket can form a portion of the shroud such that the surrounding shroud is formed when the brackets interlock. Known locking devices include padlocks, combination locks, puck locks, etc. Known brackets locked with a puck lock can have a shroud that surrounds a portion of the puck lock when the puck lock is securing the brackets. Typically the bracket locking mechanisms are separate from the door handle.
FIG. 1 depicts a typical prior art lock mechanism and door handle secured with a padlock. Assembly 10 comprises a plate 12 attached to a door via fasteners 14. Handle 16 is attached to an operating shaft operable to operate the latch mechanism (not shown). Plate 12 has a plate tab 18 that aligns with a handle tab 19 of handle 16. Both plate tab 18 and handle tab 19 have an aperture therethrough, such that when plate tab 18 aligns with handle tab 19, aperture 20 is formed. Typically a padlock passes through aperture 20 to lock the door. A padlock passing through aperture 20 prevents handle 16 from being rotated and prevents the shaft from operating the latch mechanism.
Handles and brackets are typically made of soft metal subject to destruction by bending or cutting with saws or bolt cutters. A handle may be particularly vulnerable at its coupling with the shaft. It is known to use a protector or shroud with a lock, but this type of protector does not provide any protection for the handle. Additionally, given, enough time and effort, even these protectors and locks may be bent or cut away to allow access to the lock, handle, and latch mechanism. It is desirable to protect the latch mechanism and handle in a way that the protector, handle, latch mechanism, and locking mechanism cannot be vandalized.